The UK’s referendum on membership of the EU will be held on 23 June 2016. Whilst businesses are paying increasing attention to the possibility of a UK exit from the EU (Brexit), many have not yet done any detailed assessment or planning in the event of a UK exit from the EU. This short briefing provides an overview of the referendum’s implications for businesses and what might happen if the UK were to vote to leave the EU, including:

• Simple overview and timeline of key events over coming months
• What companies should do before the referendum
• What a vote to stay in means in light of the new ‘settlement’ for the UK’ membership of the EU
• If the UK votes to leave the UK, what happens next?
• What Brexit means and who would be affected 
• What are the commercial and economic implications of a UK exit and what impact it would have on UK laws?

If you would like to discuss any of these issues further, please get in touch your Linklaters contact or any of the following partners: Christopher Bellamy, Lucy Fergusson, Paul Lignières, Ulrich Wolff or Bernd Meyring.

View the EU referendum overview here

Please see our additional briefing:

EU referendum - risk assessment overview which identifies some of the questions businesses could consider in their assessments or scenario planning for the impact of the UK voting to leave the EU (Brexit) in the referendum to be held on 23 June 2016.